Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Apparently Donald misses me, and felt he had to mention me in another of his "traditional gender role" (and kinda homophobic) posts. (No matter how much he whines about we "nihilists," he can't resist pulling us back in if we leave him alone too long... ...which says alot about him...)

On to the meat, such as it is...

Donald reposted the old "Real Men Don't Knit" pic, and claims I "just about had a heart attack" over the homophobic bullshit he posted along with it. Anyone curious (or interested in facts) is welcome to read histhreeposts (two older, and one brand new), as well as mytwo replies (three, if you count this one) and judge for themselves, of course. (For those who followed another of Donald's notoriously inaccurate non-link links, the post he was trying to send you to this time was the latter one ("two").)

-- Or, you can just take Donald's word for what I actually said and did, rather than checking for yourself... I mean, Dr Douglas never lies or "shades the truth," right? He's a college professor, after all... -- If folks ever forced Donald Douglas to actually quote the folks he attacks, rather than characterizing what he claims they said and did, Donald and his whole schtick would fall apart like the cheap and meaningless shit he and his posts really portray... But alas, there'll always be sycophants who'll believe whatever he feeds them, and facts be damned... (...and they're pretty much the only ones who still have comments show up at American Power, these days.) --

Like I said the first time, there are certainly factors and traits that make one a man. But knitting (or helping with the housework, or working in a traditionally "feminine" job, like teaching or nursing) are not activities that one should use to judge others as less masculine, unless one is an idiot. I'd argue that these days, the real man is the one willing to toss off that macho bullshit and get the laundry done, the meal cooked, the diaper changed... ...and yes, to knit the shit outta something if one feels like it, ignoring the reactionary idiots who can't grow into a world that is quickly leaving them behind. Clinging to outdated gender roles, particularly this day and age, when mom & dad are both out working, and both need to help take care of the kids when they're not, is just reactionary bullshit. While I understand the pull to restore those lost values of yesteryear, the fact is, the old days were more than likely not as idyllic and free of "corrupting influences" as we remember them.

For more on this outdated macho bullshit, check out this essay I found in my local paper (which unfortunately, doesn't allow freeloaders). It speaks directly to Donald's outdated, backward notions about men and "manning up.": Guys in Snuglis Do the Real "Manning Up"

Like I said back in 2008, I don't know what the best answer to this problem is, but for some kids anyway, it isn't as simple as just saying no and forcing a child to dress and behave according to the gender of his/her body. When simply dressing the child a certain way and punishing him/her when they step outside their gender roles -- and I mean REALLY step outside their gender roles; Girls playing football and boys wanting to cook (or knit) probably isn't cause for alarm, no matter what Dr. Douglas would have you believe -- the parents should probably elicit professional help, whether they intend to help the child take on the gender role of his/her body, or help the child become the gender his/her mind is telling him/her s/he "really" is. Until one or the other treatment clearly proves to be "better" for the child, parents of gender dysphoric kids --and the kids, themselves-- are in for a difficult ride, however the families choose to deal with it. I don't believe there is one right answer and, as long as the parents are studying the literature and at least eliciting and listening to the advice of professionals (whether they take the advice or not), I can't condemn any parent of a kid like this for taking the action they do, whichever plan they choose...

For my money, Cassy Fiano, Zion, and Donald Douglas are too quickly and casually dismissing what is a far more complicated issue than their politically correct (PC for the right wing, anyway) responses suggest.
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